Kia Ceed 2010 - ‘creaking’ steering.

[OLTB]

Evening all - my wife has the above car and yesterday we started to drive from our driveway onto the road and when I turned the steering wheel, there was a loud creaking noise which seemed to come from the steering column/wheels. Driving straight was fine but a hard lock/ turn was when this loud creaking noise came back as well as a sort of shudder. We turned around and came home but was wondering if anyone had any ideas about what it could be? It was serviced and MOTd about a month ago.

Cheers, OLTB.

[bungeejumper]

I doubt it's serious. Might be a worn bush on your anti-roll bar. Might be a stuck cable on your handbrake, after months of standing in the rain. Might just be a bit of grunge in some part of the front suspension, again after sparse use. We've had all of those at one time or another, and they all sorted themselves after the car had had a bit of exercise. (Although the anti roll bar bushes, which only groaned when cornering, cost £120.)

If you're using the car regularly, forget the last two. If not, give it a run. Got any cobblestoned roads in your area? Great for sorting out sticky squeaks and graunches. And try bouncing the front suspension (gently, don't bend the wings. )

BJ

[DrFfybes]

As BJ said - could just need exercising (unless it is haunted, in which case it needs exorcising). 2 of our cars barely move for weeks or even months in winter, and they always take a few miles to settle in again.

First look for anything obvious under the bonnet/car - particularly check power steering fluid level and look for a leak on the pipe.

Give the underside a blast with a hose if you can, turn it lock to lock at a standstill (ideally on soft ground and not on block paving as you'll damage it). Find somewhere you can do a low speed manoeuvre and go back and forwards slowly on increasing steering lock. If it gets worse, stop and get it looked at.

Paul

[OLTB]

Thanks both - there was a small pile of mud when we drove back to the house on the driveway where the wheel was so perhaps it was through lack of use. I’ll give it a small ‘bounce’ and see what drops off!

Thanks again, OLTB.

[OLTB]

Just as an update - it was a snapped coil spring that had come out of its housing which was making the noise. All sorted now.

Cheers, OLTB.

[Breelander]

Just as an update - it was a snapped coil spring that had come out of its housing which was making the noise. All sorted now.

There's a lot of that about these days. My daughter had the same with her Ford Focus, as did her husband in a VW. I blame the prevalence of speed bumps

[swill453]

Just as an update - it was a snapped coil spring that had come out of its housing which was making the noise. All sorted now.

There's a lot of that about these days. My daughter had the same with her Ford Focus, as did her husband in a VW. I blame the prevalence of speed bumps

Coils springs are becoming almost "consumables", like brake disks are these days.

Scott.

[richlist]

Not in my household. Never ever had to replace one, never heard of anyone that has to replace one. But, we do slow down to drive over speed bumps which might help.

[bungeejumper]

Well done, OLTB!

Coils springs are becoming almost "consumables", like brake disks are these days.

Indeed. My wife's Golf snapped two the year before last. One of them had snapped cleanly but stayed in place, and the other had lost an entire turn of the spring, which had presumably pinged away and landed in the gutter somewhere. (The shortened spring had then settled back comfortably into its retaining cup, and we'd probably never have discovered it if the other one hadn't gone.)

I've made her promise not to take the short cut down the town hall steps again.

The good news was that the new springs were not expensive, and that they seemed to take no time at all for our indy garage to fit. Worse things happen at sea, as my old mum used to say.

Never ever had to replace one, never heard of anyone that has to replace one.

That's lucky. You don't replace one, always two.....

BJ

[OLTB]

Yes, not too damaging on the wallet - £175 all in including the VAT. First time I’ve had to replace one as well!

Cheers, OLTB.

[MonsterMork]

Never ever had to replace one, never heard of anyone that has to replace one. .

Er, at our garage we have fitted four* in the last seven days ....

MM


* two Fiesta's (front), a Focus (rear) and an Audi A3 (front), and this morning an MX5 rear shock

[quelquod]

Not in my household. Never ever had to replace one, never heard of anyone that has to replace one. But, we do slow down to drive over speed bumps which might help.

You must be almost unique. Contrary to your experience all of my close acquaintances have had 1 or more coil springs break in the last few years. I’ve broken 4 in 5 years - 3 in 2 years on a Vectra including breaking the replacement. Admittedly I live in the county with reputedly the worst roads for potholes in Scotland.

Surprisingly (to me) the Vauxhall main dealer offered a choice of either Vauxhall or aftermarket springs and replaced them singly rather than in pairs. Sadly the BMW dealer offered neither facility for their eye-watering replacements.

[swill453]

I've probably replaced 5 or 6 coil springs individually on two cars over the last 8 or so years. At no time did the (variety of) garages suggest replacing them in pairs.

Scott.

[MonsterMork]

At no time did the (variety of) garages suggest replacing them in pairs.

Scott.

We usually do, although ninety nine times out of a hundred our skin-flint customers just do the broken one We find the same on everything that is better to replace as a pair

MM

[DrFfybes]

Never ever had to replace one, never heard of anyone that has to replace one.

That's lucky. You don't replace one, always two.....

BJ

...unless you hae a 1989 Carina, in which case you can't buy a pair for the rear as there is only 1 in the EU stockist, and they won't order any more as they don't get much call for them. Oh yes, you can go online and order them, but then get the same answer a few days later.

Paul